Utilizing a garnish to cover an airbag in a vehicle has been practiced since the first airbags were installed. These first airbags were designed for a frontal impact and located within a steering wheel. They were covered by a rubber like garnish material. This material had thinned areas that were designed to tear in certain areas to allow the airbag to deploy while maintaining control and attachment of the garnish to the steering wheel.
As the benefit of airbags became apparent, they were included in numerous other areas of the vehicle, such as frontal impact airbags in the passenger side dashboard, side curtain impact airbags in the roof line and pillars, etc. As the locations and designs for the airbags increased in complexity, so too did the design of the garnishes and garnish attachments.
Consumers prefer a harder material for garnishment of the pillars as compared to the steering wheel. This harder plastic could not be designed to tear in specific locations, rather it would have to be displaced when the airbags deployed. In order for the displaced garnish to not get in the way when the airbag deployed, movement of the garnish needed to be controlled.
Allowing displacement while maintaining control of the garnish has traditionally been achieved through complicated two-stage clips or fasteners. These clips would initially secure the garnish to the vehicle, and upon the application of a threshold amount of force, the first stage of the clip would break free, and the second stage of the clip would engage, allowing a certain amount of travel between the first and second stage. These clips were able to adequately secure the garnish and allow the necessary movement and control, however their complex design made them costly to implement.
Based on the problems described above, a new airbag garnish and attachment design is desired.